1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to revolver handguns having an ambidextrous, integrated, selective, lockable safety device that can be used as a handgun lock, and further relates to an easy to operate, combined revolver handgun safety and handgun lock.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thousands of revolver handguns are purchased yearly for sport or home protection. Typically handguns are stored at home, not in gun safes but in unlocked areas accessible to others. As such, unattended and unsafed handguns provide a danger to the untrained and curious. Injuries and fatalities result from the accidental discharge of these unlocked handguns.
States are increasingly requiring that each new handgun be accompanied by a suitable handgun lock that meets certain standards: ease of use, effectiveness, reliability, and resistance to tampering.
Conventional handgun locking devices are generally separate entities that must be remembered, found and applied properly. They have two or more sides or parts that clamp around the trigger guard. These handgun locking devices are configured to immobilize the trigger. Some handgun locks have been shown without keyed locking configurations to allow quick access by adults but these sacrifice a significant degree of safety for unauthorized use.
Many of these handgun locks attempt to prevent access to the trigger group but leave the handgun hammer exposed or only marginally secured. In many cases the hammer can still be manipulated and the handgun fired.
A reliable and effective revolver handgun locking arrangement that deters tampering and prevents inadvertent discharges would be an advancement to the art.
A selective safety for revolver handguns rendering the revolver safe and non-fireable in one position and fireable in another position, such as used in rifles and shotguns, would be a distinct improvement to the revolver handgun art.
A selectable safety for revolver handguns and a firearm lock that can be secured in the off and unlocked position, returning the reliability and fireability that is normal for revolver handguns in that they do not have selective safeties that can impede rapid use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,117 to Weinraub teaches a hammer and trigger lock device that incorporates a standard pad lock as the locking device. The Weinraub taught locking device is a bulky add-on feature, is not integrated into the handgun, and is easily displaced and not convenient or easy to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,294 to Curry et al. teaches a revolver hammer locking mechanism for locking the hammer by actuation of a tool. The post, when rotated sufficiently, extends from the hammer enough to strike the revolver frame and prevent full rotation of the hammer. This configuration is quite delicate, the post subject to heavy forces during rotation. The small screw out shaft is easily fractured and is unsafe and must be fully extended to impede hammer movement and the full force of rotation is applied to the end of the shaft ninety degrees to the axis and far from the supporting base. Therefore, it is prone to easy failure and scaring of the handgun frame. In addition, it is embedded in and is only a feature of the hammer and is not integrated with the handgun frame. Furthermore, it has no distinct on or off position. The extended post is unsupported and too frail to constitute an effective and dependable firearm lock.